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inity of Yorktown and across the river at Gloucester.
These have been assisted by the effective rebel force, some seven thousand men, which Gen. Magruder has had under his command.
They were composed chiefly of Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana troops.
The fortifications of Yorktown are in the general shape of an elongated triangle, with the river for the base.
In length they are five eighths of a mile.
They are strong, but not neat.
They might have been taken by storm with terribjust begun.
You will have to contest every inch of ground with us after this.
For this is the last time we obey orders to retreat without trying your mettle, let them emanate from whom they may; and ours are the feelings of every soldier from Louisiana.
We are, with the compliments of the non-commissioned officers and privates of company E, First battery heavy artillery, First Sergeant, E. T. Grover, Second Sergeant, Fred. Winters, Fourth Sergeant, J. M. Staples, And others.
One

ening to our guns belching vengeance to your lines.
You might as well attempt to change the run of the James River as to subjugate the Confederacy.
Vale! Vale! Co. K, 40th Ala.
II.
Why have the rebels not been so completely surrounded that any movement would have been utterly impossible without a battle?
Perhaps because Gen. McDowell's command was ordered to Fredericksburgh, and its control taken away from Gen. McClellan, at the moment when the latter had ordered it to proceed to Urbana, on the Rappahannock, and push for the rebel rear.
Perhaps because the Merrimac has prevented such boats as Commodore Goldsborough has had from sailing up the rivers.
Perhaps because McClellan had landed all his force at Old Point before knowing that he was to be deprived of McDowell's corps d'armee. Perhaps because we are getting thus far bravely on to Richmond and all is as well as it could be. Probably from a combination of all these and other causes.
It is not yet time, nor has any on

tures of Union soldiers.
Many of the tents were cut in different places.
Four large trucks for carrying heavy guns stood near the dock, with an immense quantity of lumber.
The magazines were constructed in the most careful manner.
This fort had been occupied by the first battalion New-Orleans artillery, the Eighth and Thirtieth Alabama regiments, the Tenth and Fourteenth Louisiana regiments, and the Thirteenth and Forty-fifth Georgia regiments.
These troops were ordered to report at Howard's Grove, four miles from Richmond, and left the fort at midnight. A rear-guard was left, which at last retired in the greatest haste.
The first gun on this large work, mounted on the left, looking towards the river, was an eight-inch columbiad, and next in their order were mounted a nine-inch Dahlgren, a ten-inch columbiad, three nine-inch Dalhgren guns.
Directly underneath, in the water-battery, there were four eight-inch columbiads and an old forty-two-pound carronade.
On the large work a

l moats; and across the York River lies Gloucester Point, with a scanty rear-guard just hurrying from its supporting works, and a yellow flag still fluttering from its hospital.
To conclude, for I must end and forward these hurried pages:
I. Will the rebels make a stand at an interior line of peninsula defences?
Deserters say they will not; that they are afraid of McDowell's advance, and are hastening to unite with their Gordonsville columns ; that the failure of Forts Jackson and St. Philip to sink our gunboats in the Mississippi has opened their eyes to the admirable shrewdness of McClellan in essaying the peninsula.
Per contra. Read the curious addresses which we find awaiting us here in various parts of the works.
Here is one copied from a sand-bag on the grand parapet:
follow us, and we will give you what you won't need.
Just come out A few miles.
All we want is A Fair showing.
Is this a delphic utterance veiling some mysterious danger in wait for us ahead,

news by the ten o'clock boat to Old Point.
I remain in the enemy's recent lines to examine their formidable works, and, if possible, become the discoverer of the redoubtable last ditch.
For three weeks these fortresses and intrenchments have checked our march to Richmond, but only that they might the more surely, cheaply, and expeditiously fall into our hands.
I look around at this village of Yorktown, now a broad and frowning fortress, covering hundreds of acres, twice as large as Fortress Monroe, big enough to inclose twenty of our own elaborate works on the Potomac heights; I see a bastioned and traversed flank-work, one fourth its size, and but a hundred rods to the west; I gaze from the further angle of the latter, and a chain of rifle-pits, redoubts, gabionades, and what not, stretches toward the James River as far as the eye can reach; seeing all these, and knowing how long and bravely an army fighting under the old flag would have held them — I almost wonder at the coward

completely commanded by their guns.
Trees which were standing a year ago have been cut down by the rebels, to give free range to their artillery.
Deep gorges and ravines are inside and about these fortifications.
This natural advantage furnished good cover for their troops against artillery fire, and rendered the position difficult to assault.
To the left of the Yorktown road — the enemy's right — as you approach the town, other fortifications have been constructed.
On the line of the Warwick road, a few hundred yards from the Yorktown turnpike, there is a small ravine.
An inconsiderable stream has been made to increase the extent of a natural swamp in front of the works at this point.
This is near the spot where Lord Cornwallis surrendered to Washington, and the British laid down their arms Further to the right of the enemy's line, along the course of the Warwick River, there are other earthworks which I have not yet had an opportunity to examine.
When we arrived inside th

the plains on the southern approach deep gorges form natural moats; and across the York River lies Gloucester Point, with a scanty rear-guard just hurrying from its supporting works, and a yellow flag still fluttering from its hospital.
To conclude, for I must end and forward these hurried pages:
I. Will the rebels make a stand at an interior line of peninsula defences?
Deserters say they will not; that they are afraid of McDowell's advance, and are hastening to unite with their Gordonsville columns ; that the failure of Forts Jackson and St. Philip to sink our gunboats in the Mississippi has opened their eyes to the admirable shrewdness of McClellan in essaying the peninsula.
Per contra. Read the curious addresses which we find awaiting us here in various parts of the works.
Here is one copied from a sand-bag on the grand parapet:
follow us, and we will give you what you won't need.
Just come out A few miles.
All we want is A Fair showing.
Is this a delphic utt

n we marched up here a month ago — required considerable labor.
From the time of the occupation of Yorktown, about a year ago, by the rebel General Magruder, two thousand slaves have been constantly employed, principally on the fortifications in the immediate vicinity of Yorktown and across the river at Gloucester.
These have been assisted by the effective rebel force, some seven thousand men, which Gen. Magruder has had under his command.
They were composed chiefly of Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana troops.
The fortifications of Yorktown are in the general shape of an elongated triangle, with the river for the base.
In length they are five eighths of a mile.
They are strong, but not neat.
They might have been taken by storm with terrible loss; could have been taken by turning their right on the Warwick, after a severe battle; but have been taken without loss of any kind.
One man was killed and three wounded by the explosion of a shell, attached to a torpedo in front

the entire line of his works, which the engineers report as being very strong.
I have thrown all my cavalry and horse-artillery in pursuit, supported by infantry.
I move Franklin's division, and as much more as I can transport by water, up to West-Point to-day.
No time shall be lost.
The gunboats have gone up York River.
I omitted to state that Gloucester is also in our possession.
I shall push the enemy to the wall. G. B. McClellan, Major-General.
headquarters army of the Potomac, Mondaeat carnage, and might have failed.
Our gunboat flotilla has passed up the river, followed by large bodies of troops in transports.
Several columns are moving rapidly along York River.
We hope to come up with them before they can reach West-Point.
Our army is in the finest condition and best of spirits.
The rebel army is much demoralized. J. J. Astor, Colonel and A. D. C.
Philadelphia press account,
Yorktown, May 4.
At twelve o'clock last night, a bright light in the dire

Doc.
5.-occupation of Yorktown, Va.
Gen. McClellan's despatches.
headquarters of the armeneral.
Colonel Astor's despatch.
Yorktown, Va., May 4, 1862. Pelatiah Perit, Esq., PresiA. D. C.
Philadelphia press account,
Yorktown, May 4.
At twelve o'clock last night, a brck, of the Sixty-second Pennsylvania, entered Yorktown.
The Twenty-second Massachusetts and part ofirst it was supposed that they were sent from Yorktown officially — perhaps with a proposition for sy said that when our army arrived in front of Yorktown the rebel force under General Magruder was noion difficult to assault.
To the left of the Yorktown road — the enemy's right — as you approach thac to report to Gen. Johnston immediately, at Yorktown.
But the Merrimac had well-founded fears of their own risk, and clambered the parapets of Yorktown.
Colonel Sam. Black and General Jameson were
To the B'hoys from Lincolndom — from Dixie. Yorktown, May 2.
We leave you by order of our super[15 more.